The Portland daily press., 1887-06-18
SEWING RAG CARPETS.
BIZ HELEN FOREST GRAVES.
saturday Night


poplars in front, and beneath the windows.
in narrow bed outlined by strips of board,
blossomed four-o'clocks, youth and old
age" and gaudy African marigolds, which
seemed to hold up their orange torches with
distinctly defiant air. Green paper shades
yelled the windows, and knocker with an
eagles head hung in the upper centre of the
door.
Everyone has seen such houses along the
country roads where the Queen Anne craze
has not yet penetrated, and orchids and jan
anese foliage plants are unknown.
Miss Fossett and her niece, Mary Ann. sat
In the little front room, sewing rags for a
carpet. A bright wood fire cracked and
snapped In the alright stove: for although
Inc sun shone bright on the African mari
Colds and four-o'clocks, there was keen
wind blowing. and the dead leaves were
carried In all directions. The cat was asleep
among the balls of rags which made parti-
colored mountain in one corner of the room.
and the wooden clock licked shrilly on the
shelf beside case of dried butterflies and
plaster-of-paris parrot with broken beak.
Miss Fossett was elderly and spare, with
false 'front.'" which did not in the least
Ann was slight and gracefully rounded, with
dark, solemn eyes, and lips redder than wild
raspberries.
To Miss Fossett, everything in the world
was subsidiary, just at present, to the finish
ing of the carpet sewing To Mary Ann
there was nothing in all the universe which
was actually impossible.
II was a-calculatin'." Miss Fossett droned
on, as she drew the swift needle in and out.
TO get this one carpet wove afore snowfall
but guess it'll be a close shave now. |
didn't know, if | could get my spare cham
Der carpeted, but the school ma'am might
come here to board and three dollars week
is three dollars week in these tines
Yes. know, aunty," said Mary Ann;
land why shouldn't she come? We shall
soon have the carpet ready for the loom, and
In the meantime, why shouldn't she be sat
isded with rug or two laid down by the
bed and in front of the bureau?''
Haven't you heerd?' said Miss Fossett
stopping to rega her spool of linen thread,
which had rolled away under the cats snug
resting place. 1.-THE school ma'am's going
be married, and the new teacher-Eliah Raw
he boards to hum. l don't blieve he'll get
lu.
man teacher"
Mary AIMS eyes lighted up.
ITO be marred?" said she.
Eyes," nodded Miss Fossett.
who is she going to marry, Aunt Fos-
sett?"
"Our next neighbour" said Miss Fossett.
grimly
'Mr. Fairweather?"
Yes, Mr.. Fairweather. 1t beats ALP
Miss Fossett added, ito think you should not
a-heerd it afore now! Why, she's goin' to
hev adove-colored silk dress from Bridge
port. and store hat. and a real brochay
shawl! Must ha' laid up sight o. money, l
should spose."
Mary Ann was silent 1t was a question
whether or not she heard the stream of idle
chatter that flowed uninterruptedly from her
aunt's lips.
John Fairweather to be married to Aida
Marstonl The news had fallen like thun-
der-bolt into the peaceful ser, ~ of her
heart. In novels she had read, many a, "a
ana OIL, Oh the duplicity of man, but the fac.
had never come so near home before
The two women sewed diligently at the
curpet-rags until dusk Miss Fossett had no
idea that any one could desire rest from SO
oelightful an occupation, and Mary Ann
scarcely knew what she was doing. A sort
oil stupor seemed to numb her senses.
Guess we'd better stop spell now"
SAID tie old lady. "Just you run out to the
well and fill the tea-kettle, and I'll set out
the apple sass and doughnuts and riz bis
cults We won't hev no regular meal, being
there's such hurry with the rags
Mary Ann stuck her needle into one of the
red flannel leaves of the housewife, which
was fashioned like miniature book, dropped
her thimble into her pocket and vanished.
She did not go straight to the well, though.
She stole up the winding wooden stairway.
nrst into her own room where the yellow
OF the sunset yet fingered, and took two or
tnree dried rosebuds and sprg of scented
geranlum from little box in the corner of
the table drawer. Looking at them for
moment, she opened the window and flung
them out into the grass below.
u have been fool long enough" said she
to herself.
Then she went forth to the well and filed
the tea-kettle, listening as she did so to the |
melancholy ''cheep cheep" of the crickets in
the stone wall.
4"oAg Ahus fUlC6 uttered.
Mary Ann started so violently that she |
nearly dropped the tea-kettle.
1t was Miss Marston who had come unex- |
pectedly up the path, with bunch of colored |
maple leaves in her hands.
"oh, Miss Aida, how you startled mel,
Took me for ghost, eh?" said Aida |
Marston, laughing. "But | wanted to see |
you. Mary Ann. Goodness me-" intently |
scrutinizing her face by the last fading |
CLEANS of daylight, show pretty the child is |
growing! l don't blame John for being he |
witched about her."
did you want anything?" said Mary
Ann, bridling up little.
II want you, child" said Aida Marston. in
the pretty domineering manner which, being |
"school-ma-am," she had naturally ac- |
quired. "Can you help me with my sewing |
little this week."
Il am afraid l cannot" said Mary Ann.
with her face turned away
20, Mary Armand l had counted on
you'll"
Il cannot" frigidly repeated the girl.
Miss Marston stood silent minute or
two.
But you haven't congratulated me vet |
Mary Ann" said she, coaxingly.
Mary Ann withdrew herself spasmodicallv
from the light touch of her hand.
I'm sure hope you will be very happy"
said she. mo, don't either; don't hope
anything Of the kindv'
And she fled away, sobbing and holding
tight to the tea-kettle, whose spout dripped |
away in the most lachrymatory fashion.
The kerosene lamp was lighted when
she reached the room where the balls of car
pet rags were piled up. John Fairweath-
er himself was leaning against the wooden
mantel arch, with his elbow in danger
Gus proximity to the case of dried but
terflies, but her aunt was nowhere to be
seen.
'She has gone up stairs" the young man
explained in answer to Mary AIMS bewil-
dered look, ito get a bag of hops for old
Mrs. Hubbard's neuralgia. Are you i'll.
Mary Ann? You look so very white and
weary"
He took the tea-kettle from her hand and
set it on the stove, Mary Ann helplessly re-
garding him the while. How tall and
straight and handsome he wasl How Meas